Berry supported several amendments during the last two days of debate over the President’s request for an additional $87 billion for efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan – officially titled the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act. Berry was a co-sponsor of the “Young Amendment” offered by Appropriations Chairman Bill Young (R-FL) that will force the Department of Defense to pay for meals for injured troops currently in hospitals – currently injured soldiers must pay for their own meals. The amendment passed late last night. Another, more expansive amendment known as the “Obey Amendment,” offered by David Obey (D-WI), would have improved quality of life for our troops abroad and funded needed equipment purchases for such basic items as additional Kevlar vests, armored transportation and clean drinking water.

“If we’re going to put our troops in harm’s way, then they need to have the equipment to do the job right,” Berry said. “This war has been mismanaged from the beginning. We have troops taking fire without armored plating in their body armor, in sub-standard vehicles and without adequate drinking water. Our troops can’t possibly be expected to succeed if we don’t give them the tools they need to stay safe and get the job done.

“The Obey Amendment went further in supporting our troops than the President’s package and paid for it by canceling the tax cut for the richest Americans – those making more than $200,000 per year – instead of turning the full cost into debt for our children and grandchildren. Despite the administration’s implication that adding debt hinders growth, the Administration plans to fund Iraq’s infrastructure by adding debt for future generations of Americans to pay off. We are killing our own growth – if we use the Administration’s logic – in order to provide for Iraqi prosperity.”

The Obey Amendment provided an additional $4.6 billion for U.S. military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan by taking money out of funds the President’s proposal had set aside for Iraqi infrastructure. The additional funds would have gone towards the following:

1)                  An additional 20,000 active duty troops – enough for more than one full Army division – to help relieve pressure on an already over-deployed active duty force and an over-extended National Guard.

2)                  Includes a series of provisions to address health care, personal assistance, and other quality of life concerns directly related to Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom

3)                  Includes additional funds for repairing and replacing equipment used in those operations as follows, Army - $1.3 billion, Navy/Marine Corps - $1.1 billion, Air Force - $0.7 billion

4)                  Includes funds constructing water treatment facilities to provide sufficient drinking water to our troops in Iraq.

The Obey Amendment also provided for greater accountability in the awarding of contracts to U.S. companies creating Iraqi infrastructure and would have transferred $7 billion the President dedicated to Iraq’s infrastructure to Trust Funds at the World Bank where they would be available to Iraqis in the form of loans – not grants as the current plan calls for.  The Amendment failed on a party-line vote.

The funding of Iraqi and Afghani infrastructure improvements was also a key factor in Berry’s decision to vote against the Administration’s proposal.

“The President has frequently said that investment will spur Iraq to grow and prosper,” Berry said. “If this kind of investment in infrastructure is good for Iraq, wouldn’t it be good for the US as well? Instead, despite more than 3 million jobs lost and the worst deficit in history, our President has chosen to invest more in each Iraqi than each American.”

Iraqis will receive $174.09 per capita in water resources while Americans will receive a shocking $17.59 each for similar services. Iraq is also set to receive $5.65 billion for electrical generation – more than $200 per Iraqi. Meanwhile, this year’s Department of Energy funding is $22 billion, about $75 per American. Iraqi and Afghani infrastructure will be $12.92 billion, approximately $523.08 per person. Meanwhile, Americans will receive only $401.38 each for similar services.

“We’re taking money from a hurting economy, where the per capita debt is nearly $24,000 per person, and pushing that country further into debt by spending its own money on the needs of a country with seven times the assets and a third of the debt per peson.

“More discouraging then the misallocation of funds, is this spending is being suggested at a time when cuts to Veteran’s benefits are being discussed. It is completely irresponsible to give nearly $20 billion to Iraqis for transportation, energy and water projects, and education needs by taking health care and retirement benefits away from the very people who provided the Iraqis with their freedom.”